b. 16/11/1921 India. d. 10/07/1944 Upper Tiber Valley, Italy.
Yeshwant Ghadge (1921-1944) was born on the 16th November 1921 in India. Little is known about his early life, prior to his enlistment with the 5th Mahratta Light Infantry in the British Indian Army at the outbreak of World War.
Yeshwant Ghadge VC
As a Sepoy (Private), he was initially posted to the Middle East, where in 1941, aged just 19, he was mentioned in despatches for his gallantry. By the middle of 1944, he had been promoted to Naik, and was posted with his Regiment to support the Allied invasion of the Italian mainland.
On 10th July 1944 in the Upper Tiber Valley, Italy, a rifle section commanded by Naik Yeshwant Ghadge came under heavy machine-gun fire at close range which killed or wounded all members of the section except the commander. Without hesitation, and well knowing that none were left to accompany him, Naik Yeshwant Ghadge rushed the machine gun post. He first threw a grenade which knocked out the machine gun and firer, after which he shot one of the gun crew with his Tommygun. Finally, having no time to change his magazine, he grasped his gun by the barrel and beat to death the remaining two men of the gun crew. Unfortunately, Naik Yeshwant Ghadge was shot in the chest and back by enemy snipers and died in the post which he had captured single handed.
Sadly, his body was lost after the action, and he is commemorated on the Cassino War Memorial, Italy. There is also a statue in his memory near the Tahasil Office, Mangaon in the Raigad District of India. His medal group is not publicly held.
LOCATION OF MEDAL: NOT PUBLICLY HELD.
BURIAL PLACE: NO KNOWN GRAVE – CASSINO WAR MEMORIAL, ITALY. PANEL 17.
Acknowledgement:
Thomas Stewart – Image of Yeshwant Ghadge VC on the Cassino War Memorial.